Reglikedomain industry desk

Patent for connecting domain names to blockchain addresses — Verisign granted

Patent for connecting domain names to blockchain addresses — Verisign granted

Patent covers the lifecycle of a domain name that is connected to a blockchain address.

An image of earth with light connecting various places and the words "Blockchain Patents"

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted patent number 12,003,615 to Verisign (NASDAQ: VRSN) for “Lifecycle administration of domain name blockchain addresses.”

The patent (pdf) describes a way of connecting domain names, such as example.com, to a blockchain wallet address.

Once a person associates a domain name with a wallet address, users can send cryptocurrency and other items to that user using their domain name, rather than a difficult-to-remember wallet address.

The patent includes the entire lifecycle of such an association, counting establishing an association between the domain and blockchain address, as well as deleting, updating, transferring, and renewing that association.

The overarching idea is not fresh. Ethereum Name Service has worked with select top level domain names since 2018, and opened to all domain names in 2021. Still, the Verisign patent covers a broad range of activities related to the lifecycle of a domain name, rather than just manually connecting and disconnecting a domain to a blockchain address.

Verisign filed for the patent in May 2021, and it was granted today.

The firm has a number of other patents related to blockchain technology.

Also on the wire

Other reporting from the domain desk.

DNAcademy’s Bulk Passive Sales Checker — Test drivingServicesDNAcademy’s Bulk Passive Sales Checker — Test drivingFServicesFresh Zealand’s .NZ administrator sues DomainTools$1.5 billion in transactions — Escrow.com topsServices$1.5 billion in transactions — Escrow.com tops2 notable feature improvements in the fresh Dan.comServices2 notable feature improvements in the fresh Dan.comDomain search functionality, promotes for-sale domains — NamePros addsServicesDomain search functionality, promotes for-sale domains — NamePros addsUServicesUse Escrow.com? Prepare to be verified. — Want toFServicesFor Second Year in a Row — DomainConvergence CanceledPIR (.org) releases annual note, shows impact from fresh Afilias dealServicesPIR (.org) releases annual note, shows impact from fresh Afilias dealDomainTools for Web Site Captures — Archive.org vs.ServicesDomainTools for Web Site Captures — Archive.org vs.